Gas-control valve for water-heaters.



H. EISENAOH & W. F. SMITH.

GAS CONTROL VALVE FOR WATER HEATERS.

APPLICATION 11.21) JULY8, 1912. 7

2 Sums-sum 1.

WITNESSES: IN l/E/VTORS H. EISENAGH & W. F. SMITH.

GAS CONTROL VALVE FOR WATER HEATERS.

APPLIOATION IILED JULY 8 1912.

Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

2 BHEBTS-SHEET 2.

ILVl ENTORS M ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENtroFFion.

HENRY EISENAGH AND WILLIAM E. SMITH, or DETROIT,\1V'ICHIGAN.

GAS-CONTROL VALVE FOR WATERHEATER S.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

Application filed July 8, 1912. Serial No. 708,395.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY EIsnNAoi-I and WILLIAM F. SMITH, citizens oftheand turned ofi' when the drawing oil of the water is discontinued.

Another object of this invention is to provide a construction which willpermit the circulation of water through the heater during such time asno water is being drawn from the same.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is an elevation of a'heaterequipped with this improved gascontrol valve.' Fig. 2'is a verticalsection of the valve mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan of thecontrolling-valve body. Fig. 4 is a plan of the water-valve. Fig. 5 is aplan of the operating piston.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

That type of heaters known to the trade as instantaneous water heatersis so C011? structed that when water is being drawnoff, a supply of gasis turned onto the burners so that the water passing through will beheated as fast as. it is drawn off. The valve mechanism for controlling'the flow of gas is usually equipped with a thermostat so that the flowof gas will be prevented so long as the water passing from the heater isabove a certain predetermined temperature. The construction shown in theaccompanying drawings is designed to accomplishthese ends, and consistsprincipally in a water-valve body 1, a fuel-valve body 2, a thermostatcasing 3 and a circulating-valve casing 4;, and the mechanism containedin these heater 5 is of any desired construction and forms no part ofthis invention. A waterpipe 6 connects tothe water-valve body 1 and apipe 7 extends from this water-valve body to the circulating-valve-body4:. A pipe 8 connects to the circulating-valve body 4 and to the coilswithin the heater 5, while a pipe 9 connects to the lower end of theseseveral, parts. The

coils and to the bottom of the thermostat casing. The pipe 10 connectsto the top of the thermostat-casing and also to the hotwater system ofthe building, in connection with which the heater is to be used. Afuelpipe 11 connects to the fuel-valve body 2 and is preferably suppliedwith a cut-ofl' valve 12 of any desired construction. A pipe 13 connectsto the fuel-valve body 2 and to the burners. Any desired type ofpilot-light will be employed in connection with this mechanism in theusual manner. When Water is drawn from the pipe 10, the pressure in thepipe 7 will be reduced and water will flow up through the pipe 6,through the valve-body 1 and the pipe 7, into the circulating-valve body4, and lift the valve 16 shown in. Fig. 2 'sufliciently to pass outthrough the port 17 into the pipe 8. The height that the valve 16 mayrise is controlled by the adjusting screw 18. After passing through theheater and out'through the pipe 9, the water will enter thethermostat-casing 3, passing around thel brass or copper tube 19, which.is rigidly connected at'its lower end into the thermostat-casing,

and pass outthrough the top'of this casing and pipe 10. A fitting 20connects the top of the thermostat-casing and the circulating-valve body4;

Slidably mounted within the tube 19 is a bar 21 of porcelain or othermaterial which has a low co-efiicient of'expansion. The lower end ofthis bar 21 is formed with a knife-edge 22 which rests in a notch in thelever 23, which lever is'fulcrumed on a pivot 25 carried by an adjustingscrew 24, mounted in the plug 26 in the lower end of the fitting 27,which forms the lower end of the thermostatcasing. A- jam-nut 28 isadapted to hold this screw 25 in a predetermined position. This fitting27 connects to the fuel-valve body 2 which is formed witha cap 29 inwhich is slidable a piston 30, normally held down by means of a spring31. .A screw 32 is carried by the piston 30 and on it is slidable a.sleeve 33, which sleeve 34:. This sleeve is smaller in diameter than thelower end of the piston 30-and is formed with a collar35 between which,and the lower end of the piston 30,-"the bifurcated end of the leverQS-extends. A valve-disk 36 is mounted on the sleeve 33, and so longasthe water surrounding the tube 19 is above a certain temperature, thisvalve rests its on its seat 37 and. prevents the passage of through thefuel-valve body. \Vhen the temperature of the water falls, the tube 19contracts, and the cap 39 at its upper end pres" down against the upperend of the rod 21, thus forcing down the short arm of the lever 23 andlifting the outer end of the I of the gas 'on the valve-disk 36. Thedownupper face.

Ward pull of the tube 19 is more than sutlicient to overcome the tensionof the spring l at all. times, so that this spring 31 merely insuresproper operative contact betwe n the different parts. When the tensionon the spring S t is suliicient to overcome the pressure of the gas onthe disk 30, the valve will be lifted entirely free from its seat bythis spring, as the pressure then on the lower face of the valve will beas great as on the It will therefore be seen that the valve 36willremain on its seat while the water surrounding the tube 19 falls aboutfive degrees in temperature. As this valve is now a distance from itsseat, it will require some time to reach its seat, while the temperatureof the watersurrounding the tube 19 is rising about the same amount.This device obviates an objection to many constructions ofthermostat-controlled gasvalxes, which move upon small changes of theten'iperatureof the water,-and thus cause flickering of the llame of theburners because of the sudden variations in the flow of gas to the same.The first result of the drawing of water from the pipe 10 will be torelieve the pressure in the pipe 7, which pipe connects by means of thepassages 45 and 4 3 with the inner end of the valvebody 1. This end ofthe valve-body connects with the space between the controlling-valve lland the operating piston &7 by means ol the holes 48 in the web of thevalve ll. When the pressure, therefore, in the pipe 7 is reduced, it isalso reduced in all that portion of the valve-body 1 on theinner side ofthe piston 47, and as a result the pressure in the valve-body on theouter side of the piston 47 will force this piston inwardly. Thebeginning of the movement of this piston 47 will have no effect on theother parts of the construction; When the piston contacts with the valve44, this will also be moved inwardly under the pressure 'ol. the waterbetween. the piston and the head 45). The val ve-body formed with a wall50 integral therewith, in which. is a passage 51, shown in Fig. 3. Thevalve 44 is formed with a port 53 in the upper part of the cylindricalportion, and with a port 4.3 in the lower portion, as shown in l igs. 2and 4. When this valve l l has been moved inwardly by means of thepiston 47, the port will register with the port 5L in the wall 50, andwater will then pass up through the outer end of the valve-body l fromthe pipe (3 to the pipe 7. In order to hold the Ports 53 and 43 in linewith the openings into and out of the valve-body l, a groove 55 may beformed in the upper lace oi this valve 4%,and a small pin or screw .70may be mounted in the wall 50, as shown in Fig. 2, and extend into thisgroove 55, and thus hold the valve 44 from turning in the body, but willnot prevent longitudinal movement of the valve and piston. When thepiston 47 has been moved inwardly by the pressure of the water on itsouter side, the piston-rodaii will move with it and engage the rod' 58on which the valve 59 is mounted. This valve is normally heldon its seat(30 by means of the spring 61. The rod 58 is freely slidable in the head62 ot' the gas-valve body 2. The moving of the valve 59 fromits seat bymeans of the water-operated piston 47 does not permit the passage of gasuntil. the temperature of the water passing from the heater around thetube 1.) has fallen sulliciently to cause the operation of thetllLlll'lO- stat and the lever 23 to lift the valve 3!) from its seat,at which time gas will flow through the body 2 and the pipe 13 to theburners. As soon as the how of water through the pipe 10 has, stopped,the pressure at both ends of the body 1 will be equalized, whereupon thespring (33 will force the sleeve (34 secured to the piston-rod 57 andthe piston 47 to the lett. The spring (it will then seat the valve 59,thus cuttingol'l' the gas. The hub'tltl of the valve ll extends intothe'sleeve (i l, and a spring a? within this sleeve operates to thefollowing elleet. When the piston moves inwardly and engages thewater-valve, its rod 57 engages the gas-valve rod 58. Further movementof the piston causes the water-valve to move inwardly until the port 5?.begins to register with the port 51. At thistime the pressures at bothends of the valve-body l. are equal and there is nothing to prevent thespring 63 from moving the piston outward. This movement would permit thespring (31 to close the gas-valve, resulting in the heating flame beingextinguished, and cold water [lowing from the pipe 10. But at first.outward movementof the piston, the spring ()7 causes the water-valve tofollow it, resulting in the shutting oil of the flow through the port 51and also in the reduction of the pressure at the inner end of thevalve-lmdy 1. This reduction immediately results in the inward movementof thepiston, the reopening of the gas-valve and of the port 51.

llli

novaoee As the construction is very sensitive, these movements are veryslight so that the piston, the water-valve and the gas-valve aresubstantially stationary, their positions de flow of water from the pipebe stopped,

the pressure at both ends of the body 1 will be immediately equalizedand the spring 63 will move the piston 47 and piston-rod 5,:7 outwardand the spring 61 will seat the gtaswalve 59. For this reason, itis'most desirable that the piston (l7 and valve l4: be

. independently movable.

If it is desired to remove any of the mechanism within the valve-body 1,this can'be I done without drawing oi? the water, as the 10 or from theheat-er] 'vaive 16 will prevent any flow from the pipe The water-valvebody 1 and the fuel-valve body 2 "may be held in proper relation to eachother by the bracket 68 and. the nuts 69.

It will be noticed that the port 51 in the wall is formed with inclinedsides. It sometimes happens that hits of straw and other impurities passwith the water through these control-valves and lodge in the ports. Whenthe ports 53 and 51 regis ter, the water may pass freely, but when thevalve 44; is moved outward by means of the springs 63 and 67, the rearwall of the bit port 53 will pass beyond the inclined walls of the ort51, and any impurities which may lo go across the line of contact willbe moved to the sharp corner between the walls of the port 51 and willthere be sheared off, if possible. When the valve 44 moves againinwardly, the outer wall of the port 53 passes inwardly beyond the sharpcorner between these inclined walls and the flow of water can thenimmediately carry away any foreign particles that may be lodged in thiscorner. As the valve 44 is not moved outwardly until the flow of waterout through the pipe 10 ceases, the pressure in the casing 13 will bethe same as in the pi e 6, and the pressure above the valve 16 wil bethe same as below it. As a result, this valve will descend to theposition shown "in Fig. 2.,"and thereby connect the pipe 8 to thefitting 20, as soon as such flow ceases. Water may then circulatethrough the coil within the heater through the pipe 8, the fitting 20,the thermostat-casing 3 and the pipe 9.

The dimensions and proportions of the various parts shown in thedrawings may all be modified as may be found desirable by heatingengineers without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We -claiml. A controlling device for wate heaters comprising awater-valve body, a watervalve slidahle therein, a piston slidable insaid water-valve, a piston-rod connected to the piston, a gas-valve bodyand a valve therein movable from its seat by said pistonrod, a spring toreturn the piston to normal position, and a spring mounted on andoperable by the piston-rod to move the watervalve to normal position.

2. A controlling device for water heaters comprising a water chamber, apiston-r0d slidable therein and operableby the waterpassing through thewater chamber, a fuel valve body, aluel-valve therein adapted to beopened by said piston-rod, means for closing said fuel-valve, a secondfuelwalve within the fuel-valve body and held on its seat by its ownweightand the pressure of the fuel, a lever pivoted adjacent said secondfuel-valve, and a spring connecting the lever and valve whereby thevalve will be lifted when the upward pull of the spring overcomes theweight of the valve and pressure of the gas.

3. A controlling device for water healers comprising a water chamber, apiston slidable therein and operable by the water passing through saidwater chamber, a pistonrod connected'thereto, a fuel-valve body, afuel-valve therein adapted to be opened by said piston-rod and normallyheld closed by the pressure of the fuel, a cylindrical watervalvemounted concentric vwith said piston and provided with ports in its faceto permit the flow of water through said water chamber, and a springbetween the valve and piston rod to move said valve to prevent the flowof Water through said chamber.

4. A controlling device for water heaters comprising a water-valve bodyhaving a cylindrical bore, a cylindrical valve slidable therein providedwith a web having openings to permit the passage of water through thesame, a piston slidahly mounted within the cylindrical portion of saidvalve, a piston-rod connected thereto, a gas-valve body, a gas-valvetherein adapted to be opened by' said piston-rod, said watenvalve havingports in its cylindrical portion to permit the passage of water throughsaid water-valve body, a spring for moving said water-valve outward toprevent the How of water through said water-valve body, and a spring toseat said fuel-valve. t

5. A controlling device for water heaters comprising a water-valve bodyhaving inlet and outlet ports, a valve slidable therein and formed by acylindrical portion provided with ports adapted to register with inletand outlet ports of the valve-body and a web provided with passages topermit water to flow through the same, a pistonrod slidahly mounted insaid valve, a piston mounted on the outer end of said rod and slidablewithin the cylindrical portion of said valve, a tuel-valve body, afuel-valve mounted therein and adapted to be moved from its seat bymeans of said piston-rod, and a spring to return said fuel-valve to itsseat.

ii. In a controlling device for water heaters, the con'ibination of awater-valve body having inlet and outlet ports, a valve slid abletherein and comprising a cylindrical portion provided with ports adaptedto register with the inlet and outlet ports of the valve body and a webprovided with passages to permit water to flow through the same, apist:on1 d .treely slidable in said valve, a piston mounted on the outerend of said rod and slidable within the cylindrical portion of saidvalve and adapted to move the valve inward to open the outlet port ofsaid valve-body, a spring mounted on the piston-rod to move the valveoutward, a second spring to move the piston and pistonrod outward, afuelvalve body, a fuel-valve mounted therein and adapted to be movedfrom its seat by said piston-rod, and a spring to return the fuel-valveto its seat.

7. In a controlling device for water heaters, the cmnbination with thefuel-valve, ot a water-v: lvc body, a cylindrical valve slidablotherein, a piston slidable within the valve and moved inwardly by thepressure ol water, a piston-r0d connected to said piston and adapted tooperate the fuel-valve, a sleeve connected to said rod, a coil-spring onsaid sleeve to move the pistonrod and piston outwardly, a spring withinthe sleeve to move the cylimlrical valve outwardly, and a spring toclose thefuel-valve.

8. in a controlling device for water-heaters, the (:Ollll')l11tltl01lwith a fuel-valve, of a cylindrical water-valve body having inletand-outlet ports, a cylindrical valve slidable in said body and having aport adapted to 12,, r with the outlet port of the body when said valveis moved inwardly, said outlet port having walls which meet at anoutwardly pointed angle, so that the area of the opening is reduced asthe valve moves outwardly, and means mounted adjacent the valve andactuated by the water pressure for moving the fuel-valve from its seat.

'9. A controlling device for water heaters comprising a water-valvebody, a valve slidable therein, a piston in said water-valve body, apiston-rod connected thereto, a fuelvalve body, a fuel-valve thereinadapted to he opened by said piston-rod, means for normally closing saidfuel-valve, a second valve within said fuel-valve body normally 7 heldon its seat by the pressure of the fu'e a lever to lift saidsocond valvefrom its seat, a vertically movable sleeve mounted above the valve, aspring operatively connecting said sleeve and valve, and a thermostaticdevice in engagement with said lever to cause it to lift said sleeve andthereby move said second valve from its seat. when the temperature ofthe water surrounding the the'rmostatic device falls below apredetermined degree of temperature.

10. A controlling device for water heaters comprising a .vatcr-valvebody and a piston therein, a piston-rod connected to said piston, afuel-valve body and a valve therein adapted to he moved from its seat bythe piston-rod, means to return said fuel-valve to its seat, acirculating valve body, a pipe connecting the lower end of the same tothe water-valve. body, and asecond ipe connecting the upper end of thecirculating valve body to the heater, said circulating valve body havinga port between its ends also opening to the heater, a circulating valveslidablc across said port so as to permit the water to flow from thewater-valve v to the heater or to circulate through the valve andheater, and an adjustable screw means to limit the movement of saidvalve and thereby control the flow of water from the water-valve to theheater.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY EISENACH. WILLIAM F. SMITH.

lVitnesscs Enwann N. PAGELSEN, JAY FULLER.

